Top Canadian athletes in 2012

Top Canadian Athletes in 2012

QMI Agency named Milos Raonic and Christine Sinclair as male and female athletes of the year for 2012. Here are Canada's top athletes this year. (QMI Agency Photos)

Natalie Achonwa helped lead Notre Dame to the 2011-12 NCAA Women's basketball championship game, losing to undefeated Baylor last April. Then in July, she made her Olympic debut for Canada, helping them to the knockout round before losing to the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Early in the 2012-13 NCAA season, she is averaging 14.6 point in a starting role. (Dave Abel/QMI Agency)

Dave Abel / Toronto SUN

Canada's golden girl of bobsleigh, Kaillie Humphries shows off some of her medals as she returned home to Calgary for the holidays. The 27-year-old reigning Olympic and World Champion is having the bobsleigh run of her life, rattling off an historic eight straight victories. (Darren Makowichuk/QMI Agency)

Darren Makowichuk/Calgary Sun/QM

Christine Nesbitt saw continued success on the ice as the speedskater finished off the 2011-12 season, placing second at the World Sprint Championship and won two golds at the World All Round Championship. She also began the 2012-13 season with four individual gold medals. (Stuart Dryden/QMI Agency)

STUART DRYDEN/CALGARY SUN/QMI AG

Rosie MacLennan won a gold medal in the trampoline at the London Summer Olympics, Canada's only gold at the games. (Tony Caldwell/QMI Agency)

QMI

Christine Sinclair set the Olympics on fire with her flare for the dramatic. Sinclair led all scorers in the women's soccer tournament with six goals. After the devastating 4-3 loss to the U.S. in which she scored a hat trick, Sinclair helped Canada earn a bronze medal against a tough team from France. (Al Charest/QMI Agency)

AL CHAREST/CALGARY SUN/QMI AGEN

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos became the 20th player in NHL history to score 60 goals in a season in 2012, winning the Rocket Richard Trophy. (Martin Chevalier/QMI Agency)

Martin Chevalier / JdeM / Agence

Patrick Chan continued his dominance on the ice by winning the World Championship for the second year in a row, along with the Four Continents and Cup of Russia on the international stage. Chan also defended his national title for the fifth straight year. (Didier Debusschere/QMI Agency)

DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QU

Ryder Hesjedal became the first Canadian to ever win a cycling Grand Tour event, taking the lead in the final stage to step to the top of the podium in the 2012 Giro d'Italia. (Sebastien St-Jean/QMI Agency)

Sébastien St-Jean / Agence QMI

Calgary Stampeders runningback Jon Cornish was named the CFL's most outstanding Canadian after leading the league in rushing yardage and second in yards from scrimmage. He also led the Stamps to the Grey Cup final. (Stan Behal/QMI Agency)

Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/QMI Agenc

Milos Raonic made tennis relevant in Canada again by becoming the first male to crack the top 40 in the world rankings, finishing the year at a career-best No. 13 after winning two tournaments. (Charles William Pelletier/QMI Agency)